44 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • JANUARY 17, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Hug more, stress less
Whether circumstances are good or
bad, exciting or stressful, there are several
simple ways to improve emotional
and mental fi tness.
As one example, sharing a hug with
a loved one has been found to boost
immune system responses, help fi ght
disease and increase overall health,
according to an article published by
“Th e Guardian.” Hugs increase serotonin,
which is the body’s natural antidepressant,
can be a natural sleep aid
and help reduce stress and anxiety.
However, according to the article,
hugs are on the decline. Among the
reasons for this decline in hugging are
busy schedules and the prevalence of
technology extending the workday into
time spent at home. It can be hard to
focus on personal connections when
work follows you home in your pocket.
At times, it seems there are stronger
connections to mobile devices than
family members sitting in the same
room.
Th ere is a simple solution, though. In
honor of National Hug Day, you can
get back to showing love through the
simple act of hugging.
With the help of its mascot, Seymore
Good, Tree Top encourages everyone
to “squeeze the day” and acknowledge
goodness in others by sharing a meaningful,
honest hug. Th e grower-owned
fruit cooperative that uses simple ingredients
and real fruit also introduced
innovative clear apple sauce pouches
that let parents “See the Good” in what
their kids are eating before they eat it.
In the spirit of reducing stress and
giving meaningful, memorable hugs,
consider these tips:
Keep it real. Avoid superfi cial hugs or
giving a hug just out of habit. Instead,
try focusing on the hug and giving
it with purpose, as an expression of
friendship. Squeeze hard, but not too
hard.
Take a breath. Once you are in the
hug, pause for a moment and breathe.
Just one breath. Th is is where you have
the chance to squeeze a little longer. Go
ahead and be a little vulnerable. In the
moment, remember who you are hugging
and why you are hugging him or
her. Th is is a moment when the healing
power of the hug can shine through,
and a hug or squeeze is a sign of aff ection
and trust.
Let it go. Be sensitive to the movements
of the person you are hugging
and be willing to be the fi rst to let go.
Leave the embrace with a smile on your
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
face, even in the hardest moments of
life. Always let the person you are letting
go of know you are happy.
Visit treetop.com for more information.
Courtesy Family Features
Elmhurst hospital receives prestigious neurology award for the second year in a row
On Friday, Jan. 11, NYC Health +
Hospitals/Elmhurst announced that their
Department of Neurology was awarded
Healthgrades’ Cranial Neurosurgery
Excellence Award.
Th e Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence
Award is based on Healthgrades’ formula
that weighs both the average of in-hospital
and post-hospital mortality drawn from
MedPAR.
“We are extremely proud of our
Neurosurgery team and the life-saving care
they provide to our patients on a daily
basis,” said Israel Rocha, Chief Executive
Offi cer of NYC Health + Hospitals/
Elmhurst and Vice President of NYC
Health + Hospitals. “We look forward to
supporting continued advancements in our
Neurosurgery program and to providing
compassionate, patient-centered care to
everyone in our community, regardless
of their fi nancial circumstances or ability
to pay.”
Th is is the second year in a row that
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s
Department of Neurology has received this
prestigious award from Healthgrades, an
online resource for comprehensive information
about physicians and hospitals.
“Being awarded the Healthgrades Cranial
Neurosurgery Excellence Award for two
years straight – 2018 and now 2019 – is a
great honor,” said Dr. Zachary L. Hickman,
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s
Director of Neurosurgery. “It’s a testament
to the focus on patient-centered care,
along with diligence, attention to detail,
and the hard work necessary to ensure that
all our patients are well taken care of. It’s
truly a team award and wouldn’t be possible
without the help of all our allied departments
and staff in the hospital, including
those in Anesthesia, the Post-Anesthesia
Care Unit, the Surgical-Trauma Intensive
Care Unit, Neurology, Internal Medicine,
Emergency Medicine, and Rehabilitation,
and of course, our nurses, physical therapists,
social workers, and case managers.”
Th e Department of Neurosurgery at
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst provides
a wide spectrum of neurosurgical
care, including the acute treatment of head
and spine trauma and neurological emergencies,
cerebrovascular disorders, brain
tumors, and degenerative spine disease.
To make a referral or schedule an appointment,
call the Department of Neurosurgery
at 718-334-2772 (Monday through Friday,
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or email torresan@nychhc.
org.
link
link
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
/treetop.com
